The climate of the Crimean peninsula is quite arid, in particular in its northern and central regions. Therefore, the problem of water supply for settlements and agro-industrial enterprises is particularly acute here. In this article, we will describe in detail the reservoirs of the Crimea. How many are there? When were they formed and what functions do they perform today? How big is their recreational and tourism potential? Let's try to answer all these questions.
Reservoirs of Crimea: general information and list
Today, there are 23 large reservoirs of artificial origin on the peninsula. 15 of them are natural runoff, and 8 more are bulk reservoirs fed by the North Crimean Canal. Their total area is almost 42 km2. This is only 0.15% of the total territory of the Crimean peninsula.
All Crimean reservoirs contain about 400 million m3 of fresh water. This huge resourcedistributed and used as follows:
- 70% - agriculture;
- 20% - water supply of settlements (including housing and communal services);
- 8% - industrial water supply;
- 2% - fisheries and recreation.
The largest reservoirs of the Crimean Territory (in terms of water volume) include:
- Chernorechenskoe (64.2 mln m3).
- Intermountain (50.0 million m3).
- Simferopolskoe (36.0 mln m3).
- Frontline (35.0 million m3).
- Guerrilla (34.4 million m3).
- Zagorskoe (27.8 mln m3).
- Kerch (24.0 mln m3).
- Belogorsk (23.3 mln m3).
- Feodosia (15.4 million m3).
- Izobilnenskoe (13.3 million m33).
The location of all these reservoirs on the map of the peninsula you can see below.
Fishing in Crimean reservoirs
Reservoirs on the peninsula not only supply water to all settlements, industrial enterprises and agricultural land, but also perform other important functions. For example, recreational and tourist. Thus, the reservoirs of the Crimea attract numerous lovers of freshwater fishing. This type of recreation in our time is very popular and in demand.
In the fresh waters of the Crimean peninsula, there are many types of fish: pike perch, carp, crucian carp, roach, perch, bream and others. If you're lucky, you can fish out a pike from the water column. According to fishermen,in Crimea, the shores of the Chernorechensky, Zagorsky, Partizansky and Ayansky reservoirs are most favorable for fishing. The best time for fishing is early morning and evening. However, there are a few limitations that both beginners and experienced fishermen should be aware of. For example, fishing is prohibited in all reservoirs of the peninsula from April 1 to May 31. In addition, you cannot fish in the estuarine areas of the rivers (including a 500-meter strip of coast on both sides of the mouth).
Many experienced fishermen consider the Partizansky reservoir to be the best place for freshwater fishing in Crimea. Chub, bream, carp, perch, ram, pike perch, lake salmon and even trout are perfectly caught in this reservoir. In general, Crimea is a real paradise for fishermen and ecotourists. Here everyone can find a cozy place with a rich fish fauna and picturesque natural landscapes.
And now let's briefly describe the main Crimean record-breaking reservoirs.
Chernorechenskoe is the deepest one
The Chernorechensk reservoir is considered the largest in terms of volume in Crimea. It contains over 64 million m3. It was created in the mid-50s of the last century on the Chernaya River. Initially, the reservoir was used for irrigation of nearby lands. Today, up to 80% of its reserves are spent on the domestic needs of the city of Sevastopol.
Chernorechensk reservoir has an unusual curved shape. From the eastern side, a narrow and wooded cape, almost 2 km long, deeply protrudes into it.
Frontline is the largest
The largest body of water in terms of area in Crimea is Frontovoe (6.45 km2). It is located in the eastern part of the peninsula, near the village of the same name. The main source of power is the North Crimean Canal. The reservoir is used mainly for water supply to Feodosia and its adjacent resorts.
This name of the reservoir was not accidental. The fact is that during the Great Patriotic War there were fierce battles. The original monument, made of fragments of mines and shells, reminds of those events. The reservoir itself was filled relatively recently, only in 1978.
In recent years, the Frontal Reservoir has become shallower. So, in 2017, the volume of water in it decreased by almost ten times (compared to 2014).
Izobilnenskoye - the most picturesque and deepest
Izobilnensky reservoir is phenomenally beautiful. Yes, and the deepest in the Crimea! Its maximum depth is 70 m. The reservoir was built in 1979 at the confluence of two mountain streams - Safun-Uzen and Uzen-Bash. It is located on the western outskirts of the village of Izobilnoye, borrowing its name from it. The main purpose of the reservoir is to provide fresh water to Alushta and nearby agricultural land.
Ayan is the oldest
Ayan reservoir was filled in 1928. It is located in the foothill zone, near the village of Perevalnoe. Used for water supply of the city of Simferopol(water from it flows through an 18-kilometer underground conduit to the treatment facilities of the Crimean capital). Along this route were built small booths in an exotic Moorish style. Two of them have survived to our time.
Ayan reservoir in Crimea is very tiny (only 0.4 km2), but deep enough. The maximum depth of the reservoir reaches 25 m. During the Second World War, the German command planned to blow up the dam of the reservoir. Fortunately, these plans were violated by a partisan detachment under the command of Kozin, and the Ayan reservoir continued to exist.
